Induction of innate immunity to Chitin may explain some allergy to invertebrates

Exposure to insects, crustacea, helminths and fungi make all cause occupational asthma. This paper proposes that innate immunity can be induced by chitin in mice, suggesting a common pathway. They showed that mice treated with chitin developed an allergic response, with an increase of interleukin-4 expressing innate immune cells. Treatment with a chitinase enzyme abolished the response. 

References

	Reese TA, Liang H, Tager AM, Luster AD, Rooijen NV, Voehringer D, Locksley RM, Chitin induces accumulation in tissue of innate immune cells associated with allergy., Nature, 2021;447:92-96,https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05746

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